


Blood and Ash

by theskywasblue



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Dark, Gen, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-20
Updated: 2010-05-20
Packaged: 2017-10-09 14:51:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The end of the world</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood and Ash

He's breathing, still, but not properly. There is blood on his lips and his breath rattles in and out of his chest.

She can feel his heart failing.

"Leave him!" Sokka shouts, "Just leave him Katara! He's the enemy!"

_But he saved us,_ she wants to say, _it's our fault he's like this. Every life is worth something, even the life of a Firebender._

"Toph, help me carry him."

He isn't going to make it. If she had some water, any water, she might be able to save his life, but everything is fire and ash – everyone is dead and the army is advancing.

They lost Aang hours ago.

"Sokka's right, just forget him."

But she can't, because Aang wouldn't have – Aang would never have left anyone to die, not even the Fire Lord's son.

He's heavy. She doesn't think she can carry him, she stumbles over the rocks and he groans and spits blood on the side of her neck, as hot as boiling water.

Then the enemy is on them.

"Run!" Sokka shouts. There's blood on his face and his hair is singed, his sword-arm shakes and she knows, as much as he does, that he doesn't stand a chance.

Toph has to hold her hand, guide her as they flee, because the tears in her eyes leave her blind. There are tears pouring down Toph's face too, but it doesn't matter to her.

The cave is temporary respite. Toph doesn't have enough energy to make a path for them, barely enough to close off the entrance.

"You should have left him – you should have let him die."

It's true, probably. At any rate, she doesn't have the water she needs to heal him, doesn't have anything more than the tears from her own cheeks – tears for Sokka, and it feels like a betrayal to use them on Zuko. His lungs are full of blood, the muscle around his heart constricted with scar tissue from the lightning strike, his breath rattles in and out of his chest. She bends his blood, drawing it away from his lungs to buy him a little more time, but it's only a stall-tactic.

They seem to sit in the darkness for an eternity before Toph says, "They're coming."

The roof of the cave shakes as they begin to tunnel in, a chink opens in the wall and firelight spills in, washing over Zuko's face.

"We know you're in there," Azula's voice is as smooth and bitter as liquid poison, "There's no use fighting it now. Your brother's out here with us – why don't you just surrender?"

Hope and terror run through Katara. She starts to rise, but Zuko catches her by the wrist. His grip is like iron, his skin like fire.

"Azula…" he gasps desperately, "Azula…"

Toph's hand pressed hard over his bloody lips.

"Don't you dare call for her!" the tiny Earthbender hisses, "What right do you have? This is all your fault – you could have helped us before! You think saving Katara's life is going to make me stop hating you?"

"Toph!" Katara pulls frantically at her powerful arm with her free hand, "Stop it! He can't breathe!"

Toph releases him. Her face is furious, fresh tears hot on her cheeks fall down to stain the front of her clothes, making vermillion mud where they mix with the volcanic cave dust.

Zuko lies still, struggling to breathe, struggling to speak. Katara brings her head low, until his lips brush the shell of her ear. His breath is cold.

"Don't make us waste all this precious time!" Azula calls out again, confident and taunting, "I really hate it when people don't know when to give up."

"Azula…" Zuko rasps again, and for a moment Katara feels an irrational rush of hatred, a desire to push her hand down over his mouth until no sound can ever come out again. She can smell him – Fire and smoke, blood and ash. She can hear the desperate stutter of his heart.

"Azula always lies."

"We'll kill him," the demon-princess sing-songs and the wall starts falling in, "if you don't come out I'll make you listen to him die."

Toph puts her hands over her ears and starts to sob. Zuko's free hand slides, trembling, over the back of Katara's head, his palm presses over her ear, his fingers dig ever-so-slightly into her cheekbone.

"Azula always lies."

Katara closes her eyes as the world starts to shake.

"Azula always lies," she whispers desperately, echoing the voice in her ear that is slowly fading, "Azula always lies….Azula always lies…"

Zuko stops breathing as the wall falls in.

-End-


End file.
